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Rock star Win Butler received applause for his performance in Friday night's NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, televised on ESPN, but the sports network's anchor quickly shut down Butler when he tried to tell the millions of people watching how great a 'Medicare-for-All'-type health system like they have in Candada could be. (Photo: Peter Llewellyn/USA Today Sports)

Rock star Win Butler received applause for his performance in Friday night's NBA Celebrity All-Star Game, televised on ESPN, but the sports network's anchor quickly shut down Butler when he tried to tell the millions of people watching how great a 'Medicare-for-All'-type health system like they have in Candada could be. (Photo: Peter Llewellyn/USA Today Sports)

ESPN, the most dominant sports-only cable channel in the United States is apparently not interested in hearing about progressive politics, even if it tries to sneak itself in during post-game coverage of a star-studded basketball event that aired on Friday night.

At the conclusion of the NBA's Celebrity-All Star game that was played in Toronto, Win Butler, the American lead singer of the Montreal-based rock band Arcade Fire who won the MVP award, tried to use his time at the microphone to tell voters in the U.S. that they might learn a lot from their northern neighbors, specifically their publicly-run health system that affords every single resident equal access to quality care.

"I just want to say that it’s an election year in the US," Butler stated. "The US has a lot they can learn from Canada: healthcare, taking care of people, and I think..." But that's as far as he got when ESPN correspondent Sage Steele took the mic away.

"So we’re talking about celebrities and not politics," said Steele, turning away. "Congratulations on your MVP!"